Heart's Ease
by EditorDee
Summary: Suggestive, but nothin explicit. YAOI. It's Nuriko and Hotohori! Yummy bishoen...anyho, R/R


Heart's Ease By: Dee-chan Note: I'm not to be outdone! See Pip! I'm not to be outdone!  
  
Nuriko and Hotohori  
  
"Miaka, go away." Nuriko's hands cradled his head, trying to lessen the pain.  
  
"But, Nuriko--"  
  
"Go! Miaka, just go." He heard her back away and slowly walked away. He didn't mean to be harsh, but he just wanted to be alone.  
  
His headache pounded in his temples. Nuriko gently massaged them, trying to block out the pain. But it persisted.  
  
Nuriko sighed. It wasn't only his head that hurt. Every time he thought he had gotten over the emperor, his heart would ache. He only wished it would leave eventually. Hotohori didn't love him and never had.  
  
Nuriko sighed again, but stood up. Colors blended with each other as the world spun around him, leaving blackness.  
  
***  
  
Hotohori was just rounding the corner, to go to the river when he spotted Nuriko. He watched as Nuriko stood, swayed in place, then collapse on the ground.  
  
"Nuriko!" Hotohori leaped over a low bush and ran to where Nuriko had collapsed. "Tamahome! Miaka!" He hoped they heard him, but he was more worried about the man in front of him.  
  
He laid a cool hand on Nuriko's forehead and felt the warmth coming from his skin. Nuriko's fever was dangerously high.  
  
Cursing quietly, he gathered the other man into his arms and stood up. No one was coming. Where the hell where those two?  
  
Hotohori adjusted his grip on the surprisingly light man he held. The violet hair hung, suspended from Nuriko's head, a beautiful long braid. Hotohori had the strongest urge to spear his fingers in its length and loosen the braid. He shook his head. What the hell was he thinking? He had to get Nuriko back to camp. And with it being only the four of them, they had limited resources.  
  
Hotohori walked into camp and immediately realized why Tamahome and Miaka hadn't answered. Miaka's tent was closed up and soft moans were heard from the recesses. Hotohori expectantly waited for the pain that this should have brought. But it never came.  
  
Hotohori placed Nuriko near the burning fire in the middle of the circle of tents. Hotohori brought Nuriko's bedroll from his tent and laid it near the fire. He quickly bent to pick up Nuriko and wrapped him in the bedroll.  
  
For a moment, he debated leaving the couple alone, but decided that Nuriko needed their help.  
  
"TAMAHOME! MIAKA! I need a little help out here!"  
  
Tamahome's rumpled hair and desire glazed head popped out. "What?"  
  
Hotohori sighed. "Nuriko's sick and collapsed. I need help."  
  
Miaka pushed past Tamahome and straightened her clothes. Her swollen lips pursed with worry. She buttoned her vest up and finger combed her hair back. She dropped to her knees next to Nuriko's still form.  
  
"I knew it," she muttered to herself. Tamahome knelt behind her as she checked Nuriko's forehead. "Damn. He's burning up. Tamahome, get some cold water from the stream. Hotohori, stoke the fire. We need it hotter." Miaka brushed Nuriko's hair from his face and shook her head.  
  
***  
  
Later that night, Miaka went to her tent to sleep until it was her turn to watch over Nuriko. Hotohori was frazzled and Tamahome looked at him, then at Nuriko. He laid a hand on Hotohori's shoulder reassuringly, then went to join Miaka.  
  
Hotohori watched Nuriko breathe quietly, his face still flushed by the fever. Not once during the day had he woken up, but he had cooled down slightly, his face not quite as hot, but he still sweated.  
  
Hotohori noticed little things about Nuriko that had never appeared to him before. Like how Nuriko's lips were full and kissable. How his beauty mark seemed to off set the paleness of his skin. How long his lashes were as they lay against his cheeks. How silky soft his hair was. Hotohori wondered what that hair would feel like, draped over his skin. He imagined himself kissing those perfect lips. He could see the eyebrows brushing his own cheek in small butterfly kisses.  
  
Hotohori shook his head. No. What was he thinking? And about Nuriko, no less. But the thoughts kept returning. The images becoming more and more graphic as Hotohori sat watching over Nuriko. As the night passed, he didn't get up even once to let someone relieve him of his duty. He sat by Nuriko until the signs of an imminent dawn began to show.  
  
Hotohori stretched as the birds chirped in welcome. The air began to warm as the sun began to rise. He arched his back and bent to feel Nuriko's forehead. It was only warm. Nuriko was over the worst of it. Hotohori wiped Nutiko's bangs out of his face, still inwardly battling his emotions. Nuriko's violet eyes fluttered open. They flew to Hotohori's startled chocolate eyes.  
  
Nuriko gaped, but managed to stutter out something verbal. "H-h-h-h-hoto-h- hori-sama!"  
  
Hotohori swallowed back his tangle of emotions that had formed a lump in his throat. "Hai, Nuriko."  
  
Nuriko struggled to sit up. He was thwarted by Hotohori's firm hand, keeping him down.  
  
"Stop, you've been sick." Hotohori smiled down at Nuriko who looked like he was having a hard time swallowing. "Let me get you some water." Hotohori stood, but Nuriko clutched his ankle.  
  
"No.I'm fine. I'm just a little startled." Nuriko blushed slightly.  
  
Hotohori frowned. "You're not getting sick again, are you?" His hand brushed Nuriko's warm forehead. Nuriko shuddered as skin came in contact with skin. "You're shivering."  
  
Nuriko shook his head, dislodging Hotohori's hand. "No, I'm fine, really."  
  
Hotohori shook his head. "I'm going to get Miaka, anyway." He went to her tent and poked his head in. "Miaka.Miaka!" Miaka sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes.  
  
"Nani?" Funny, how things he once found endearing, now seemed extremely childlike.  
  
"Er.Nuriko's awake. He still seems flushed."  
  
Miaka crawled around the sleeping form of Tamahome. "Is it already morning? Hotohori, you've stayed up all night?" Hotohori shrugged. Miaka snorted. "Men."  
  
Hotohori's eyebrows rose, but he refused to answer.  
  
Miaka pushed past him and went to kneel by Nuriko. She felt his forehead and was able to get him to drink some water. Hotohori stood by, feeling helpless. He watched as Miaka helped him stand and helped him walk out of the camp and into the woods. Hotohori laid a pot of water over the fire to heat up.  
  
When they returned, Hotohori felt a twinge of jealousy. Sure, Miaka could help him, but he couldn't? He, the emperor, couldn't help Nuriko? Of course he could! Nuriko stumbled and was pale and shaking by the time he laid back down.  
  
Miaka stifled a yawn. Hotohori moved behind her. "Miaka, go back to bed. You need sleep." Hotohori surprised them both when he winked and grinned. "You've had a long, hard night."  
  
Miaka looked at him, stunned, but finally, she grinned and nodded, blushing slightly. "Thank you, Hotohori. I know you've been up all night, but still, thank you."  
  
Nuriko was still watching them when Hotohori sat down beside him. Miaka crawled back into her tent to sleep next to Tamahome. "Why?" he asked, voice slightly hoarse.  
  
Hotohori glanced down. "Why what?"  
  
Nuriko coughed, trying to clear his voice. "Why have you stayed? And all night?"  
  
Hotohori shrugged nonchalantly, but a faint tinge of pink graced his cheeks. "Well, you were sick and since you're a seishi, you're important to the mission."  
  
Nuriko closed his eyes and turned his head away. "Oh." He sighed and was about to try to fall asleep, keeping away the pain, when he felt Hotohori's hand lightly brush his braid away, skimming the sensitive skin of his neck.  
  
"And," oh so quietly, Hotohori began speaking again. "And because I didn't want to leave. Last night I came to some startling conclusions, that I'm not sure I'm ready to look where they are leading to." Hotohori sighed. "But I've got an idea of what they mean, and I'm not sure.I'm rambling. I'm sorry." His fingers paused and Nuriko opened his eyes. The fingers quickly retreated, almost as if they had just realized what they'd been doing.  
  
Nuriko turned over and looked up at Hotohori. He sat there, looking into the woods, absently fiddling with his sash. Nuriko laid a hand over his, stilling the fingers.  
  
"You can tell me, Hotohori-sama."  
  
Hotohori started. He looked down. "I-" He threaded his fingers through Nuriko's. "I'm thinking that maybe.maybe men aren't bad. Maybe I was wrong. There probably is no woman out there for me. But I think.I think." Hotohori blushed slightly, trailing off. He leaned down and brushed his lips across Nuriko's.  
  
Nuriko's eyes widened for a moment, then fluttered closed. When Hotohori would have pulled away, Nuriko brought his head back down for another kiss, deeper this time. When they finally parted, Nuriko prompted, "You think."  
  
Hotohori blushed. "I think I've found the perfect person for me. And he's lying in front of me." Hotohori leaned down again and brushed his lips against Nuriko's temple. "I've found my heart's ease."  
  
-FIN-  
  
*Author's Note: Ok, so Pip challenged me again. This time I prevailed! I wrote the damned story, I finished the damned story, what else could she want from me? Pip: A yaoi lemon? Yeah right, I'm not as perverted as you! Pip: Well, I never! p Thppthb. Anyhow, Fushigi yugi belongs to Yu Watase, not me. Don't sue, I've got no money, I'm just a poor college student with not way to pay for anything. I hardly have the money to pay for the movie I'm going to see tonight.Vin Diesel.drool.Pip: Drool.. So, anyway, gotta go. Read and review, constructive criticism always welcome. 


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